Safety device for cigar shapers



Sept. l2, 1939. s. cLAusi-:N 2,172,834

` SAFETY DEVICE FOR CIGR SHAPERS Filed Deo. 12,- 1934 `2 Shelzs-Shees l .JI lwlllllll.

INVENTOR Sept. l2, 1939. s. cLAusEN SAFET DEVICE FOR GIGAR SHIAPERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. l2, 1934 INVENTO Patented Sept. 12, 1939 UNITED STATES- SAFETY DEVICE FOR CIGAR SHAPERS Sigurd Clausen, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to International Cigar Machinery Company, a corporation of New York Application December 12, 1934, serial No. 157,228

Claims.

uriis invention lrelates to an improved safety device for preventing damage to machinery in case some undue resi-stance is encountered in a power-driven mechanism. 5 Accordingly, the main object of the invention is t0 provide a novel safety device which will stop the power-driven mechanism, and the entire machine if desired, whenever the movement of the power-driven mechanism is obstructed.

The safety device would have useful application in many Widely different kinds of machines, but in the embodiment chosen to illustrate the invention the safety device is shown, in a scrap bunch cigar machine, interposed between the .15 drive mechanism and the-turret indexing mechanism of the cigar bunch concentrator or other type of cigar shaper. A further object of the invention, therefore, is to incapacitate the drive mechanism of the cigar shaper and stop the en- 3 tire machine when the rotation of the cigar Shaper is obstructed.

With these and other objects not specifically mentioned in view, the invention consists in certain constructions and combinations hereinafter fully described and then specically set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification and in which like characters of reference indicate the same or like Darts:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the safety device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front view showing the device as installed in a cigar bunch concentrator to connect the drive mechanism and turret indexing mechanism thereof;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the same; and

Fig. 5 isa detail rear view of the turret indexing mechanism of the cigar bunch concentrator.

In the particular embodiment of the invention selected for illustration for carrying the invention into effect there is provided, i'n combination, the main drive shaft of a cigar machine, a revoluble cigar bunch shaper turret, mechanism driven from said main shaft and operating periodically to revolve said shaper turret, a clutch through which said main shaft is driven, and an automatic safety device for incapacitating said mechanism and throwing said clutch out of gear whenever the rotation of said turret is obstructed, whereby `the rotation of said turret will be interrupted and the entire machine will be stopped.' In the best constructions contemplated said device includes a spring-pressed clutch lever normally holding the clutch in gear, a trip lever connected to the clutch lever, a jack shaft, a notched sleeve fast tothe jack shaft, a sprocket driven from the main shaft and loose on the sleeve,vand a spring pawl pivoted on the sprocket and provided with a lug adapted to engage said notch to turn `the jack shaft in unison with the sprocket and slip out of the notch whenever the rotation of the turret is obstructed, and also provided with a heel adapted to strike the trip lever and thus actuate the clutch lever to throw the clutch outof gear whenever the lug on the pawl slips out of the notch. 'I'hese various means and parts may be widely varied in construction within the scope of the claims for the particular device selected to illustrate the invention is but one of many possible concrete embodiments of the same. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted to the specific construction shown `and described.

Referring to the drawings, in Figs. 1 and 2 the safety device is shown apart from the cigar bunch concentrator. In the form of the safety device illustrated therein the hub II of a chain sprocket IIa is free to rotate on a sleeve I2 except when the lug I3a of a pawl I3 engages aA notch I2a of the sleeve I2. Sleeve I2 is secured by key I 4a to a jack shaft I 4 on which may be fastened, when the safety device is installed in a cigar bunch concentrator, a bevel gear I5 (Fig. 4) which meshes with a bevel gear .I6 on a shaft I1.

On the `upper end of the shaft I1 is fastened a drum cam I8. A number of rollers I9 spaced at equal intervals on the indexing disk 2li of the bunch concentrator successively engage the helical cam groove in drumcam I8 as the drum cam rotates; and, as the rollers I9 travel up the ramp in the cam groove of drum I8, the indexing disk 20 is turned together with the turret 2|, which carries an endless series of interiitted male and female concentrator sections. In this manner each pair of interfitted male and female concentrator sections is successively stopped at the bunch loading station of the turret where the male section is automatically removed and then replaced after the bunch has been inserted into thefemale section. Further description of the turret and the mechanism for removing and replacing the male concentrator sections Ais deemed unnecessary as reference may be had to Patent No. 1,838,157, granted December 29, 1931, on the application of Rupert E. Rundell, for a complete disclosure thereof. The bunches may bemanually inserted or this operation may be performed automatically by suitable means such as shown in said patent. 1

The shaft 22a of the motor M carries a pinion fil 22 driving the gear 23 on acontinuously revolving counter or sprocket shaft to which is fast the sprocket 24.` A sprocket 25 is drivenfrom the sprocket 24 by means of chain 26. Sprocket 25 is attached to one clutch member or cone 21 of a friction clutch or other suitable type of clutch, the other clutch member or cone 28 of which is splined to the main drive shaft 29 and held in engagement with thcone 21 by the pressure of the clutch spring 33.

A worm 3| oli shaft 23 drives the worm gear 32 on shaft 33, and sprocket 34 on shaft 33 is connected to sprocket Ila by chain 35. Thus there is established a complete connection between the main drive and the index disk, which would be positive .and unyielding and would cause breakage of the chain 26 or other damage when the rotation of the turret 2| is obstructed by a male concentrator section not fully seated in its female section due to the insertion therein of an oversize bunch or two bunches simultaneously, were it not for the safety device. of the chain sprocket IIa of the safety device is free to rotate on the sleeve I2 except when the lug I 3a of pawl I3 engages the notch I 2a, as described above. Pawl I3 is pivoted on a pin 36' in the sprocket gear hub II, its lug I3a being shaped to fit the notch I 2a and its free end I3b being provided with a recess arranged to receive the spring 31 which assists in retaining the lug I3a in the notch I2a. I

If any undue resistance should present itself during the operation of the index disk 2li of turret 2|, the lug I3a of the pawl I3 would slip out of the notch I2a and the sprocket IIa would rotate freely on the sleeve I2, thus interrupting the rotation of the index disk and preventing any damage. An adjusting screw 31a against which the spring 31 is seated permits of varying the spring pressure on pawl I3 to suit'the desired conditions.

A lever or trip 4I pivotally mounted on pin 42 in sprocket hub II permits the operator to disengage the lug I3a oi'A pawl I3 from notch I2a in sleeve I2 by manually depressing the end 4Ia of lever 4I. For this purpose the other end 4Ib of trip 4I, which is shaped like an eccentric cam, bears on pin I3c in pawl I3 and raises its lug I3a out of the notch I2a and holds the pawl disengaged from sleeve I2 until the attendant releases the end 4Ia of the trip. By means of this feature of the safety device the attendant may turn the shaper turret 2 I 'over for inspection and cleaning purposes by turning the hand wheel 43, with- Vout disturbing any'other part of the machine.

When an interruption in the operation of the index disk 2l! has occurred it is usually advisable to stop the main drive shaft of the machine while investigating and eliminating the trouble that caused the safety device to function. This stoppage is automatically accomplished by the safety device. Whenever the pawl I3 slips out of the notch I2a the heel i3d of the pawl I3, as it swings into position I 3d1, encounters trip lever 38 fixed on clutch lever shaft 39. The prongs of the forked lever 40 clamped on shaft 33 ride in groove 2lb of the hub 23a of clutch cone 23. As thev heel I3dl sweeps against trip lever 33, it throws thellever into position 3l', Fig. 1, and thereby turns the clutch lever shaft 33 and swings the clutch lever 4| into position 4l', Fig. 3, and withdraws the clutch cone 28 from engagement with the clutch cone 21. The clutch cone 21 now rotates freelyl on the main shaft 23, but can transmit no power to the drive of the machine.

The safety device thus fulfills two important functions-one of which isrto disconnect the turret drive when damage to machinery might otherwisebe done, and theother is to automatically stop the drive of the entire machine.

From the vforegoing disclosure it will also be seen that the shaping mechanism is immediately incapacitated upon overload of the driving mechanism therefor, also that the clutch is subsequentiy thrown at a predetermined point in the machine cycle to stop the other units of the machine in a predetermined position.

The shaping mechanism, thus incapacitated either automatically by an overload, or manually at will, can, after elimination of the cause of the overload, be rehabilitated manually. this being accomplished by turning the handle 43. This results in rotation of the shaft I1 and its'intergeared shaft I4, and the sleeve I2, bringing the notch I2a into position to receive the lug I 3a. of the pawl I3, so thatfurther rotation ofthe sleeve I2 bythe handle 43 acting through shafts I1 and I4 will eventuate in carrying the cam 4I out of the way of arm 3l, and the fork 4l is thus freed to be turned by spring into position to press the cone 2l against cone 21, and thereby rotation of shaft 23 is made effective to drive member II, pawl I3, sleeve I2 and shafts I4 and I1, so that the cam Il, rotor 20 and drum 2| will again be turned in normal fashion, provided only that there is no obstruction to rotation of the turret.

The control mechanism therefor comprises a hand wheel 43 easily manipulated by the operator with one hand, and a lever 4Ia easily and conveniently manipulated by hisl other hand.

For example, if the operator raises the lever 4 Ia with his right hand, that hand is immediately released for attendance upon the drum 2|, and his left hand is also available to cooperate in such `attendance, for the operator can rely upon the desired stoppage of the other machine units automatically. He can reset the mechanism as above described by the use of his left hand upon wheel 43, while his right hand remains free for attendance upon the shaper.

After such resetting, the machine can be again started in the usual manner, by operation of conventional control devices, not shown.

What is claimed` is:

1. In a cigar machine, the combination with the main drive shaft of the machine, of a revoluble cigar bunch shaper turret driven from said main shaft, a clutch through which said main shaft is driven, a spring normally holdingthe l clutch in gear, and an automatic safety device for subsequently throwing said clutch out of gear at a predetermined point in the machine cycle whenever the rotation of said turret is obstructed, whereby the entire machine will be stopped, said device including a spring-pressed clutch lever, a trip lever connected to said clutch lever, a jack shaft, a notched sleeve fast to said jack shaft, a rotatable member driven from said main shaft and loose on said sleeve, and a spring pawl pivoted on said rotatable member and provided with a lug adapted to engage said notch to turn said jack shaft in unison with said rotatable member and`slip out of said notch whenever the rotation of saidturret is obstructed, and also provided with a heel adapted to strike said trip lever and thus actuate said clutch lever to throw said clutch out of gear whenever the lug on said pawl slips out of said notch.

2. The combination with a main drive shaft, 0f a clutch through which saidshaft is driven,

a spring normally 'holding said clutch in gear, and an automatic safety device for throwing said clutch out of gear, said device including a springpressed clutch-operating lever, a trip lever connected to said clutch lever, a jack shaft, a notched sleeve fast to said jack shaft, a rotatable member driven from said main shaft and loose on said sleeve, and a spring pawl pivoted on said rotatable member and provided with a lug adapted to engage said notch to turn the jack shaft in unison with the rotatable member, and also provided with a heel adapted to strike said trip lever and thus actuate said clutch lever to throw said clutch out of gear whenever the lug on said pawl slips out of said notch.

3. A safety device comprising a spring-pressed clutch lever, a trip lever connected to said clutch lever, a jack shaft, a notched sleeve fast to said jack shaft, a driven sprocket loose on said sleeve, and a spring pawl pivoted on said sprocket and provided with a lug adapted to engage said notch to turn said jack shaft in unison with said sprocket, and also provided with a heel adapted to strike said trip lever and thus actuate the clutch lever whenever the lug on said pawl slips out of said notch.

4. A cigar bunch shaping machine comprising, in combination, an endless traveling carrier provided with a series of bunch shaping pockets,

intermittent driving means for intermittently moving said carrier to successively bring said pockets to bunch receiving position, a continuously rotating shaft in driving relation to said means, and an overload release associated with said shaft and means and. through which said carrier ls driven, to permit stoppage of the carrierdue to jamming of the carrier or bunches thereon without injury to the machine and with- .out stopping the rotation of said shaft, and means 5. In a cigar machine, the combination with a revoluble cigar bunch shaper turret having a series of bunch receiving shaping pockets, of mechanism for intermittently rotating said turret including a driven member connected to said turret and a driving member rotating in timed relation to the main drive shaft of the cigar machine, interengaging means on said driving and driven members for driving the latter from the former having an abutment on one member and a movable element on the other member engageable with the abutment to drive the driven element only when said members are in predetermined timed'annular relationship to maintain timing between the turret arid the main drive shaft, and means mounting said element to permit disengagement of the element from said abutment when there is an overload on the turret, a clutch through which the main drive shaft of the cigar machine is driven, andmechanism for coacting with said element to disengage said clutch at a predetermined point in the rotation of said main shaft when said element is disengaged in order to stop units of said cigar machine driven from said shaft in predetermined position.

6. In a cigar machine, the combination with the continuously revolving motor shaft of the machine, of a revoluble cigar bunch shaper turret, mechanism driven from said shaft and operating periodically to revolve said shaper turret, a clutch through which said mechanism is driven from said motor shaft, and an automatic safety device for immediately incapacitating said mechanism and subsequently throwing said clutch out of gear at a predetermined point in the machine cycle to stop the other units of the machine in a predetermined position, whenever the rotation of said turret is obstructed, and manually operable means by which said mechanism can be moved for rehabilitation of the shaper turret.

7. In a cigar machine, the combination with the main drive shaft of the machine, of a revoluble member, mechanism driven from said main shaft and operating periodically to revolve said member, a clutch through which said main shaft is driven, and an automatic safety device for immediately incapacitating said mechanism and subsequently throwing said clutch out of gear at a predetermined point in the machine cycle to stop the other units of the machine in a predetermined position whenever the rotation of said member is obstructed, and manually operable means by which said mechanism can be moved for rehabilitation of the revoluble member.

8. In a cigar machine, the combination with the continuously revolving motor shaft of the machine, of a revoluble cigar bunch shaper turret driven from saidshaft, periodically operated mechanism for moving said turret, and an automatic safety device for immediately interrupting the rotation of said turret and subsequently stopping the other units of said machine at a predetermined point in the machine in a predetermined position, and manually operable means by which said shaper can be moved for rehabilitation of the shaper turret.

9. In a cigar machine, the combination with a revoluble cigar bunch shaper, of mechanism operating periodically to revolve said shaper, and an automatic safety device for immediately interrupting the rotation of said shaperand subsequently stopping the other units of the machine at a predetermined point in the machine cycle, and manually operable means by which said mechanism can be moved for rehabilitation of the shaper turret, said manually .operable rehabilitation control means acting in synchro.- nism with the periodic mechanism to cause restoration of rotating movement to the Shaper, at the desired phase of its cyclical movement.

10. In a cigar machine, the combination with the continuously revolving motor shaft of the machine, of a revoluble cigar bunch shaper turret driven from said motor' shaft, a clutch through which said turret is driven from said shaft, mechanism operating periodically to revolve said turret, and an automatic safety device for subsequently throwing-said clutch out of gear at' a predetermined point in the machine cycle, whenever the rotation of said turret is obstructed, and manually operable means by which said mechanism can be moved-for rehabilitation of the shaper turret.

SIIlRD CLAUSE'N.

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